A bit over 18 months ago, I left Spain, cutting my trip three weeks short because a new disease was infecting a bit over 100 people a day in the country. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I wouldn’t leave the US (and barely California) for such a long period. Well, today, that changes (pending my pre-departure Covid test coming back negative – fingers crossed). Today, I leave for Curacao.

Curacao is a Dutch island in the southern Caribbean, just off the coast of Venezuela. It is the C in the Dutch ABC islands, Aruba and Bonaire being the A and B. Three weeks on a Caribbean island would seem to be a solid trip, and I can’t wait.

So why Curacao? Well, for one thing, it has had fairly low Covid case counts during most of the pandemic, and the testing requirements (just before leaving, and again three days after arrival) make me feel safer. For another, being so far south, the island is not in the typical hurricane band. (It hasn’t been hit directly since 1877, although you can say it’s due.) And the capital of Willemstad is a UNESCO world heritage site, providing more culture than most islands in the region.

I have an apartment in Willemstad, and will largely be staying in the city for my time on the island, though I’ll rent a car a couple of times to see other parts of the place. (Public transportation isn’t all that good in Curacao.) On my to-do list: learning about the island’s namesake blue liqueur, seeing the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, learning the sad history of Curacao’s role at the center of the Caribbean slave trade, swimming with sea turtles, and of course, lots of beach time. There will be new foods to try, like iguana, new customs to learn, and so many things to share with all of you!

Make sure to follow me on Instagram for daily photos from the trip. Content will start here on The Royal Tour in a couple weeks, after I catch up on my past trips. Catch you all soon!